Obese children without comorbidities have impaired microvascular endothelial function

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
• Obesity is associated with endothelial dysfunction, a precursor to cardiovascular disease.
• Microvascular endothelial function in obese children without comorbidities requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in obese children compared to normal-weight controls.
• To explore associations between endothelial function and risk factors like lipids, glucose metabolism, inflammation, blood pressure, fitness, and obesity duration.

Main Methods:

• Utilized transdermal iontophoresis of acetylcholine to induce endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.
• Measured changes in skin perfusion using laser Doppler flowmetry.
• Evaluated endothelial function in 54 obese children and 44 normal-weight controls, with subgroup analysis for risk factors.

Main Results:

• Obese children exhibited significantly lower acetylcholine-induced vasodilatation compared to controls (p < 0.001).
• Peak perfusion response was 33% lower in obese children (p = 0.001).
• A trend of lower vasodilatation was observed with higher triglyceride levels (p = 0.07), and shortest obesity duration showed lowest vasodilatation (p = 0.03).

Conclusions:

• Obese children, even without comorbidities, have demonstrably impaired microvascular endothelial function.
• Longer duration of obesity may be associated with a less pronounced impairment of endothelial function.
• Findings highlight the early impact of obesity on vascular health in children.